


Stir My Bones

by past piginawig (orphan_account)



Category: The Fosters (TV 2013)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-28
Updated: 2015-03-28
Packaged: 2018-03-20 00:10:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,927
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3629367
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/past%20piginawig
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Seven years of Jude Adams Foster and Connor Stevens at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stir My Bones

**Author's Note:**

> This is also posted on my tumblr, otpwarpaint.

_year one_

“Adams Foster, Jude,” Minerva McGonagall’s voice rang out through the great hall. Jude gulped past the nervous lump in his throat, suddenly hating that his last name started with an A. He was first to sit on the stool, the first to have the Sorting Hat placed on his head, the brim falling over his eyes.

“Another Adams Foster, I see,” the Hat murmured, and Jude jumped. No one warned him it would  _talk_ to him. “Very loyal, like the rest of them. Perhaps more than the rest of them. I think-”

There was a pause, and Jude held his breath.

“Hufflepuff!” The Hat shouted so the entire hall could hear. Jude’s heart dropped. His worst fear had come true. He would have been happy with any other house. He wanted to be in Gryffindor with Callie. He wanted to be in Ravenclaw with Mariana.  Even  _Slytherin_  with Brandon and Jesus (although he’d known that was very unlikely to happen).

But Hufflepuff was the only house he didn’t have any siblings in. He would be alone and he was terrified.

He followed the sound of the loudest cheering to the Hufflepuff table, where everyone’s robes had yellow and black badges sewn on. He turned his head, looking around for the Gryffindor table. He spotted Callie. She smiled encouragingly and mouthed  _it’s okay_.

He then caught Mariana’s eye, and she gave him a huge grin and a thumbs up. She winked at him from behind her black rimmed glasses and he gave a small smile in response. He turned back and sat on the bench next to a kid who looked a little older than he was. The kid introduced himself but Jude wasn’t really paying attention. In fact, he wasn’t really paying attention to anything but the nerves he felt building in the pit of his stomach.

He sat staring at the wooden table for the entirety of the Sorting. Five other first years had joined him at the Hufflepuff table and he felt eyes on him as McGonagall gave her welcome speech. He glanced up and met warm brown eyes across the table. The boy smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners.

Jude gave another small smile to the boy and then quickly looked over to the other new Hufflepuffs. There was another boy, one with red hair and blue eyes and Jude had a flash to another red-head with blue eyes that was featured on Chocolate Frog cards. There were also three girls; two blondes and a brunette. They all looked equally nervous and excited and Jude could half relate to them.

He was nervous. He wasn’t excited at all.

The welcome feast went by in a flash. The food appeared before him but Jude didn’t feel compelled to eat. He had shared a sandwich with Callie on the train for lunch, and now his stomach was twisting too much to even think about eating the chicken or potatoes or roast that sat in front of him.

He listened to the chatter surrounding him. People excited to see their friends that they hadn’t seen since May. People excited to get their class schedules the next morning. People excited in general.

When dinner was over, Jude stood with the rest of the Hufflepuffs, following the loud voice of a Prefect who was calling for first years. He ended up walking behind the boy with the brown eyes, and he could hear the boy with red hair chatting up the girls behind him. Jude tried to pay attention to where they were going, and he was pleased that it didn’t seem like they were going too far from the great hall.

They passed a large painting of a bowl of fruit on the wall, and came to stop at large stack of barrels in a nook on the right side of the wall. The Prefect stopped in front of the barrels and turned to the first years.

“Listen up. This is the entrance to the Hufflepuff common room. To get in, you have to take your wand and tap this barrel,” he pointed to the barrel two from the bottom in the middle of the second row. “Make sure you tap to the rhythm of  _Helga Hufflepuff_. It helps to say her name out loud the first couple times. If you get it wrong, you’ll get doused with vinegar, so if you’re a little unsure about which barrel it is, wait for an older student to help.”

After his explanation, the Prefect turned and demonstrated. The lid of the barrel flipped open to reveal a large and round tunnel.

“And now,” he said with a smile, “We crawl.”

~

Jude sat in his four poster bed on top of the yellow and black patchwork quilt he found there. His trunk was at the foot of his bed, already opened and dug through. He’d pulled out a quill and parchment and was writing a letter to his moms, telling them he’d ended up in Hufflepuff. He tried to glaze past the nerves, the disappointment, but he could tell it shone through. He sighed, signing his name at the bottom. He’d send it in the morning.

“Hi,” Jude heard from the bed next to his. The room was circular and had three beds, headboards pressed against the wall, dressers between each bed. The brown eyed boy was the one who had spoken. Jude hadn’t realized anyone else was still awake. Their other roommate, Fred, had fallen asleep at least half an hour before and was already snoring.

“Hi,” Jude said back.

The boy nodded to Jude’s bed. “Can I come over?”

Jude shrugged and scooted over, leaving room for the boy with the brown eyes.

“I’m Connor,” he said, once he was seated next to Jude.

“Jude,” he said back.

“Are your parents magic?” Connor asked, and just from his phrasing, Jude could tell Connor was Muggle born.

“Yeah. Well, I’m adopted, but my birth parents were, and my adopted moms are, too. My whole family is. There’s five of us here.”

Connor’s eyes bugged out. “You’ve got four brothers and sisters? Man, that’s cool. I’m an only child. My parents aren’t magic, so it was really crazy when I started making weird things happen and then a witch showed up on my eleventh birthday to tell me I was a wizard.”

“I’ve always imagined that must be really crazy, to have somebody in really ridiculous clothes come to your door and tell you that you’ve got magic. I’ve just grown up with it. My brother just turned seventeen over the summer, and my sister is going to soon. He kept using magic for everything over the summer. It drove my moms crazy.”

“Moms? Like, two moms?”

“Yeah,” Jude said defensively. He knew same-sex couples weren’t exactly common in their world, and that people sometimes still looked at them funny, but he didn’t know what Muggles thought about it. “They’re married.”

Connor was quiet for a second. Then he said, “That’s really cool.”

And Jude smiled his first real smile of the night.

_year two_

“Are you signing up for Care of Magical Creatures?” Connor asked, leaning over Jude’s shoulder to see his class choices.

Jude shrugged. “I dunno, I’m kind of interested in Divination.”

“Really?” Connor made a face. “Well, you can take both, y’know.”

“I know, but I know for sure I wanna take Muggle Studies. And then Ancient Runes seems interesting too…”

“You’re messing with me, now,” Connor said. “You know I would fail Ancient Runes. And why would we take Muggle Studies when I’m Muggle born? I kind of already know everything there is to know.”

Jude’s eyebrows rose and he turned to his friend. “ _We_? When did we decide we would take all the same classes?”

Connor’s face fell and Jude immediately regretted his joke.

“I’m kidding, Connor,” he assured, patting his friend on the arm. “I just thought learning about Muggles from a magical point of view might be interesting. Besides, it has to be easier than Arithmancy.”

“That’s true,” Connor acquiesced, then furrowed his brow. “Well, what if we take Care of Magical Creatures and Muggle Studies, then? We’ll have one easy class and one really interesting one.”

“But Divination seems so interesting…” Jude trailed off. He noticed the face Connor made, one of disgust, and laughed. “Okay, maybe not Divination. But do we for sure want to take Magical Creatures? Doesn’t Hagrid get a little…  _crazy_ … with his choices sometimes?”

Connor grinned. “That’s what makes it fun, Jude.”

Jude sighed but couldn’t hide the smile on his face. “Alright, fine. Care of Magical Creatures and Muggle Studies it is.”

Connor smiled widely, victorious. They circled their choices and went back to lunch.

“I’m going to miss you this summer, by the way,” Connor said sadly. Connor lived in a Muggle city, and his parents were very wary of magic, not allowing Connor to bring any of his friends from school over for fear of what could go wrong.

Jude smiled. “About that… I wrote to my moms last week and I just got their reply this morning. I was going to wait until dinner to ask, but…” Jude paused, eyes bright. “Wanna come stay with me for part of the summer?”

Connor grinned widely. “Of course I do! I’ll ask my parents when I get home and write you. It’ll be so cool to see Godric’s Hollow.”

Jude sighed in relief. He had been nervous his friend wouldn’t want to spend extra time with him. Like perhaps they were school friends, and not spend-the-summer-together friends. His siblings had each brought home spend-the-summer-together friends, and last summer Jesus spent his summer with one of his Quidditch teammates, but he knew that Mariana had once invited a friend to stay the summer and was rudely turned down.

But Jude knew he had been silly to doubt his friendship with Connor. They had quickly become best friends after the first night in the castle, and Jude had no reason to question whether Connor would want to spend time with him.

Now he just worried whether Connor’s mom and dad would allow it.

_year three_

It had been a fantastic summer, spent lounging around the lake on the outskirts of town, sucking on popsicles on particularly hot days, and playing Quidditch with his siblings and Connor. The school year had started off well, too. Jude and Connor were happy with their choice to take Muggle Studies and Care of Magical Creatures. The Muggle Studies work was easy, and Connor usually knew the answers without having to look anything up in the book, and Hagrid always made his classes interesting. Last week, he had shown them a unicorn.

But it was nearing winter break, and Jude still hadn’t asked Connor to come stay with him after Christmas. He knew it would be a whole week into the break before Connor would be able to come (“No visitors until after Christmas. Christmas is a family holiday,” his mama always said), but he wanted to ask before they left school.

He and Connor sat at breakfast on the last day of term. Fred was with them, babbling on about the prank he was planning to pull on his younger sister Roxanne. Jude was only half listening.

“-so I’ll give her Fever Fudge and tell her it’s-”

“Won’t she recognize it?” Connor interrupted Fred. “I mean, your dad owns the shop. She knows what it looks like.”

Fred paused. His face dropped. “Hell.”

Connor laughed and Jude watched the way his eyes crinkled at the corners, the way his whole face lit up.

He’d known for a while. Since the summer, really. There had been a moment, at the lake, when Connor had picked Jude up and tossed him into the water, jumping in right after. Their bodies had been a tangle of limbs, and Connor’s face had been right there, bright and happy and his eyes warm and brown, and Jude had wanted to kiss him.

He hadn’t. And he’d done everything to push the thoughts away, but sometimes they fought their way to the surface, like now, when Connor was carefree and his face shone with happiness.

That’s when Jude liked him best. When he was happy and you could see it in his eyes.

Jude tuned out as Fred began coming up with new ideas to torment his sister over the holiday. He decided to wait until he and Connor were alone to ask about the visit.

It happened that afternoon as they left Transfiguration. All of the other students headed toward the common room, but Connor and Jude headed for the library so Connor could check out a book for the holiday.

“So,” Jude started nervously.

“So,” Connor repeated.

“ _So_ , I was wondering if maybe you’d like to come visit after Christmas. Maybe from the 26th until we come back to school?”

Connor stopped in his tracks. Jude’s heart stopped. Did he not want to come?

But when Jude looked to his friend, his face had a huge smile.

“Really?”

“Yeah,” Jude confirmed. “Moms already said it’s alright.”

“That would be so amazing,” Connor said excitedly. “I gotta ask my parents but I’m sure they’ll be fine with it. Dad seems to not really like it when I’m home, anyway.”

Jude frowned. He knew Connor’s dad wasn’t particularly fond of his son’s magical abilities, unhappy that he wasn’t  _normal_. The idea of magic scared him, and so he pushed it away. And when he pushed the magic away, he pushed his son away, too.

“Well. You know we’re happy to have you. Anytime you want to come over, you’re welcome to.”

Connor smiled, soft and sincere. “Thanks, Jude. You’re my favorite.”

Jude laughed. “Favorite what?”

Connor paused for a moment. “Favorite everything.”

~

Christmas was lovely, with faerie lights twinkling throughout the house and Godric’s Hollow bright and festive for the holiday.

Jude had greed to meet Connor in Diagon Alley, and he waited impatiently for his mom to say they could leave. He kept pestering, and she kept replying,  _in a few minutes, Jude_.

“Can we go now?”

Stef sighed. “Yes, alright, we can go now.”

Jude grinned, jumping up from the living room couch and rushing to the fireplace. He heard his mama call out goodbye from the kitchen, where she was making cookies, and he called back to her. Then he grabbed a handful of floo powder and stepped into the fireplace.

He came out in the Leaky Cauldron and stood to the side waiting for his mom. Stef appeared moments later, and proceeded to remove the soot off both of them with her wand.

They went to the back of the pub to the brick wall, and Stef used her wand to tap the correct bricks. The wall spread open and they stepped through.

“We’re meeting at the Quidditch supply shop, right?” Stef checked, and Jude nodded. Connor had wanted to show his dad the sport his world had to offer.

When they arrived, though, they found Connor alone outside the shop window, a frown on his face and his trunk at his feet.

“Where’s your dad, Connor?” Stef asked, worried.

Connor sighed sadly. “He left as soon as we got here. Was too freaked out by all of it.”

Jude felt his heart clench and without thinking, he reached out and hugged his friend. Connor hugged back, gripping tightly to the back of Jude’s shirt. Jude heard a sniffle from his friend, and chose to ignore it so as not to embarrass him.

The hug lasted until Connor pulled away. Jude turned away when he wiped his eyes on his sleeve.

“Thanks. It’s good to see you guys, though. How was your Christmas?”

That was Connor. He never wanted to focus on the way his parents treated him - like he was different, not normal. He didn’t want to think about the fact that his parents didn’t understand him or his life. He just wanted to be happy.

“It was great,” Jude said, and then started detailing all the gifts he’d received. He and Connor chatted all the way back to the Leaky Cauldron, where they all floo’d back to Godric’s Hollow one by one.

~

“This is really yummy,” Jude told his mom. He took another sip of the hot chocolate.

Stef smiled. “I’m glad you like it, Jude. What about you, Connor?”

Connor nodded his head from behind his mug.

“Good,” she said. “I’m going to leave you boys to it, then.”

She left the living room, leaving Jude and Connor with their hot chocolates alone.

The silence was comfortable, the way it only is between friends, and Jude took a long sip from his mug. When he put the cup down, he found Connor staring at him, a look of amusement on his face.

“What?”

Connor laughed, and then reached over, using a finger to wipe away the mustache Jude’s beverage had given him. Jude flushed, his heart pounding. He didn’t think about how nice it was to have Connor touching his face so gently.

“You had a bit of a mustache there,” Connor said softly when he pulled his hand away. “It’s all good now.”

Connor still had a twinkle of laughter in his eye and Jude watched him with his heart in his throat.

He couldn’t deny how much he liked him anymore.

He was screwed.

_year four_

“Hi, Connor,” Daria said dreamily. Connor looked up from his dinner to see the curly haired girl walking by. She turned back to wiggle her fingers at him and he smiled back, a little unsure.

“What was that about?” Jude asked, watching the girl as she was now giggling with her friends at the Slytherin table.

“Dunno. We were partners in potions last week, when you were sick, but we hadn’t spoken since,” Connor said. He looked to be thinking on it for a moment, then shrugged and went back to his dinner.

“Well she was obviously flirting with you,” Jude told him. He tried not to be upset. “She likes you.”

Connor’s cheeks flushed. “No she- why would she-  _no_.”

“That was articulate.”

Connor sighed and averted his eyes. “You really think she likes me?”

Jude rolled his eyes. “Yes, that was almost painfully obvious. Why? Do you like her?”

“I dunno,” Connor said, “How do you know if you like a girl?”

 _I wouldn’t_ , Jude thought, but kept his mouth shut.

“Like, she’s pretty,” Connor said. “Right?”

Jude sighed. “Yes, Connor, she is physically attractive.”

“And she was nice, when we were partners,” he went on. “And smart, she was actually good at potions.”

“Does this mean I’m losing my potions partner?” It sounded like a joke, but Jude was nervous.

Connor didn’t say anything.

“Maybe I could like her,” Connor finally mumbled, looking at Jude like Jude was the one who could confirm this theory.

“I honestly am not the person to help you with this, Connor. If you haven’t noticed, I am perpetually single.”

Connor looked at his friend without humor. “I’ve told you before, any girl you ask out would say yes.”

Jude sighed. “And I’ve told you, I’m not interested in any girls.”

It was as close to the truth as Jude was willing to say aloud.

Connor didn’t say anything. He looked back over at Daria, who was still giggling with her friend Taylor.

“What about Taylor?”

“What about her?”

“Ask her out! I could ask Daria out, and we could do a double date to Hogsmeade!”

Jude suddenly became very interested in the food on his plate.

“What? Taylor’s pretty, and we’d have fun.”

“But I don’t like Taylor,” Jude finally said. Connor’s regular brown eyes turned into puppy dog eyes. “Don’t give me that look. You go out with Daria if you want. I’m not going out with Taylor, though.”

Connor’s face fell. “Are you mad?”

“I’m not mad, Connor,” Jude said. I’m sad. “I just don’t like Taylor and I don’t want to go out with her.”

Connor nodded, and they didn’t talk until later that night in the common room. Jude was curled up on the corner of an overstuffed couch, Connor sitting on the floor, writing an essay for History of Magic.

“We can go as a group. You and Daria as a date, and me and Taylor as friends.”

Connor looked up from his essay. “Really?”

Jude nodded. He hated to upset his friend, and if this was what he wanted, then Jude would do it for him.

“You’re the best,” Connor said happily.

~

Jude had suffered through one group outing with Connor, Daria, and Taylor. He had actually come to enjoy Taylor’s company - she was witty and had a dry humor that Jude could appreciate - and he could tell Daria wanted them to date (she dropped hints about it the entire outing), but he just couldn’t make himself feel anything more than friendship.

The night before, Connor had been odd. It was Friday evening, the night before a Hogsmeade weekend, and Connor had his first solo date with Daria. Jude would’ve expected him to be excited, but instead Connor was pacing in circles in their dormitory.

“You okay?” Jude asked his friend. Connor’s pacing never slowed. “Nervous about your date with Daria?”

Connor shrugged. “I’m just- I’m thinking about things. And I don’t really know what to do with the things I’m thinking, y’know?”

Jude stared at his friend blankly. “No.”

Connor sighed forcefully. “I just have some things to figure out. I’ll probably talk to you tomorrow about it.”

“Are you sure-”

“Tomorrow,” Connor promised.

Jude sat now on the grass in front of the lake with Taylor. They were watching Fred try and fail to flirt with a sixth year Ravenclaw, laughing behind their hands at his attempts.

“Does he go into these things with any hope of success?” Taylor asked in wonderment. Her brown hair shone in the sun, and Jude wished he could like her.

“Honestly, I don’t know. I think one too many of his dad’s experiments have gone to his head.”

Taylor chuckled. “So what do you think Daria and Connor are doing right now?”

Jude rolled his eyes before he could stop himself and Taylor grinned widely.

“Do you-” she paused. “Do you like Connor?”

Jude’s heart stopped. “Course I do, he’s my best friend.”

“Not what I mean,” Taylor responded. “You know I don’t care if you do, right?”

Jude could feel his face heating up and he wished the ground would swallow him whole.

“If it helps,” Taylor said, after Jude was silent for a while, “I like Daria. You know,  _like that_.”

Jude was silent, just leaned over and hugged her.

“I have two moms,” Jude said after a while. “One of them was married to a man, and they have a son, my brother Brandon. Then she met my other mom, and couldn’t fight that she liked women anymore. I think we’re lucky. That we figured it out so early, and can accept it.”

Taylor smiled.

“You’re a good friend, Jude Adams Foster,” she said. “And we’ll deal with our straight best friends together.”

“Deal,” Jude said with a grin.

~

Jude was on his favorite couch in the common room when the round entrance to the room burst open and Connor came crawling out. He looked like he’d run a mile, sweat dripping down his face and cheeks bright red.

He plopped down next to Jude, panting heavily.

“Um,” Jude said.

“Dorm?” Connor got out between heavy breaths. Jude nodded. They got up and went through the small circular tunnel that led to the boy’s dormitories.

Once they were in their dorm, Connor went to pulling off his robe and the t-shirt he had on beneath it. Jude averted his eyes, the way he did every morning when passed by Connor in only a towel on his way to the showers.

Once he was in a clean t-shirt and had cooled off, Connor sat on his bed, motioning for Jude to come over. Jude sat next to him and pulled his feet up under him.

“Are you ready to talk now?” Jude asked.

Connor nodded. “I broke up with Daria.”

Jude’s eyes widened.

“It was wrong, Jude,” he said, his voice sad. “She’d kiss me and it felt wrong. And I started dreading when I was going to see her. My stomach would twist up every morning, knowing she’d be waiting for me in the entry hall, waiting to kiss me. And I hated it. I hated kissing her. I just couldn’t do it anymore. So I broke up with her and I ran away. Literally. I ran from The Three Broomsticks all the way to the castle.”

Jude opened his mouth to speak, to console his friend, but he couldn’t find the words to say.

“What’s wrong with me, Jude? Why don’t I like kissing her?” Connor had his eyes shut, head in his hands. “What if I don’t like-”

He stopped, then shook his head.

“What if you don’t like what, Connor?”

“Nothing. It’s-” he paused. “Nothing. Daria was the wrong girl. I just have to find the right one.”

Jude didn’t say anything, just wrapped his arm around Connor’s shoulders.

“Whatever you decide to do, I’m here for you, and you can always talk to me,” Jude promised, after a few minutes of silence.

“Thanks, Jude,” Connor whispered, and then pulled out from under Jude’s arm. Jude tried not to be hurt by the action. “I think I’m going to take a nap.”

Jude stood up and walked away, listening to the sound of Connor’s curtains closing around his bed. He swore he heard the sound of a choked sob as he closed the door.

_year five_

Jude glanced up for the third time in five minutes as yet another girl wished Connor good luck. Connor’s trademark grin was plastered on his face as he thanked this particular girl, Rhonda.

“Man,” Connor said when Rhonda walked away. “One nice save and suddenly you’d think I’m the best keeper in the school.”

“Well, you’re no Oliver Wood,” Jude remarked. Connor’s jaw dropped and Jude laughed. “You’re still pretty good, though. Best player Hufflepuff’s seen since Diggory.”

“Thanks,” Connor said, taking a bite of scrambled eggs from his plate. “I’m kind of nervous, though. I don’t want that last game to have been a fluke, y’know?”

“Connor,” Jude said, lowering his voice and leaning across the table toward his best friend. “It was not a fluke. You’re awesome, and Weasley wouldn’t have let you on the team if she didn’t think you were the best. Besides, I’ve told you a million times that how good you are at Quidditch doesn’t make you a better or worse person.”

“You only say that ‘cause you suck at Quidditch,” Connor joked, but the look in his eyes said  _thanks_.

It was about an hour later, and what seemed like the whole of Hufflepuff house was walking toward the Quidditch pitch. Even more girls, and some guys, were now wishing Connor good luck, to the point where Jude found it impossible to keep the conversation going.

“I think I’m going to go ahead and get a good spot in the stands,” Jude finally said, when they had stopped near the locker rooms and Connor was getting swept into the big team huddle. “I’ll sit with Fred. You won’t be able to miss the orange hair.”

“Wait-” Connor grabbed Jude’s arm, a look of panic on his face. Jude turned, and Connor dragged him off to the side, under the stands and behind a pillar. “I don’t think I can do this.”

“Connor, you were amazing in the last match. I don’t get why you’re freaking out so much right now.”

“Last match was against Gryffindor, Jude. This is against  _Slytherin_. You know they play dirty. And if we lose this game, we’re completely out of the running for the cup.”

“Slytherins are not as scary as you think,” Jude reminded him. “I live with two of them, and they seem to be pretty decent human beings.”

“Yeah, Brandon and Jesus are okay, but Flint? That guy is a seventeen year old monster,” Connor mumbled, eyes wide.

Jude couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re pretty buff for a fifteen year old, you know.”

Connor raised his eyebrows and grinned his trademark flirty grin. “You think I’m buff?”

Jude’s cheeks turned red and he ducked his head, swatting at his friend’s arm. “Shut up. I meant compared to scrawny little me.”

“Aw, you’re not scrawny, Judicorn,” Connor assured, his smile wider and eyes brighter than before. “You’re very adorable.”

Jude’s blush only deepened, and his brain blanked on anything to say back to this confident and flirty Connor that seemed to come out of nowhere sometimes, ever since he’d started dating regularly the year before.

“Stevens!” Weasley’s voice echoed beneath the stands. “It’s time to go!”

Connor smiled and took a step back. “I’ll see you after the game, then?”

“Yeah,” Jude agreed. Connor ran back toward the rest of the team, leaving Jude stirring.

 _Adorable_? What the  _hell_  was that supposed to mean?

~

Jude never found out what Connor meant by  _adorable_ , because his friend had been inconsolable after the match.

“It’s not your fault, Connor,” Jude had promised for the millionth time. “If anything, it’s the chasers’ faults for not scoring any points, and the seeker’s fault for not catching the snitch first. The seeker this year really sucks. But you blocked three goals, it was amazing!”

“But I let one in,” Connor responded sadly, like he’d ruined everyone’s lives. Jude rolled his eyes at the importance his classmates placed on Quidditch.

“Even if you’d blocked that goal, they still would’ve won,” Jude reminded him. Connor didn’t seem to care about this fact. He continued to wallow.

They sat in the common room, which was dreary and quiet, for a few minutes before Connor spoke again.

“Shelby has a crush on you,” he announced.

“Shelby from the team?” Jude pictured Shelby from the team. She was one of the blonde girls in their year. He’d barely talked to her in all of five years he’d been at school.

“Yeah. Do you like her?”

“Was I not just saying how bad she is at being a seeker?”

“That doesn’t mean you can’t like her,” Connor pointed out.

“No, Connor,” Jude sighed. “I don’t like her. And I wish you’d stop trying to set me up with girls.”

“Why?” Connor asked, frustrated. “Don’t you want to date?”

“Of course I do!” Jude had to fight to keep his voice down. “But it’s hard when there’s no one available that you like!”

“ _Available_? Are you saying you like someone who isn’t available?” Connor asked, and Jude cursed himself. He needed to shut up.

“That’s not what I’m saying, Connor. I don’t like anyone,” he lied.

“Jude, are you-” Connor paused, looking around the room. There was no one near. He lowered his voice. “Do you even like girls?”

“I don’t want to talk about this, Connor,” Jude said, quietly.

“Is that a yes?”

“Do you realize how rude it is to ask someone if they’re gay?”

Connor’s face fell. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to-”

“Yes, you did,” Jude countered. He was angry now, angry at Connor for liking girls, for figuring out that Jude didn’t. Angry at himself for being this way. “I’m going to bed.”

“Jude, it’s like five in the afternoon-”

“I’m going to bed,” he repeated, standing up and stalking away.

~

Jude awoke a few hours later to a warm body crawling into his bed, shoving him over and laying beside him.

“You awake?” Connor’s voice sounded loud in the quiet room.

“I am now,” Jude muttered.

“I’m sorry,” Connor whispered. “I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings or anything. You know I don’t care if you like boys or girls or boys and girls or whatever. I just hate when you’re mad at me.”

Jude felt his tension begin to fade. He hated how easily Connor could get back into his good graces, with just a soft voice and a sweet apology.

“I like Taylor,” Jude lied.

“Isn’t she a lesbian?” Connor asked, confusion in his voice. Taylor had come out earlier in the school year, the only student at the school who was openly gay.

“What can ya do, right?” Jude asked, trying to keep the sarcasm out of his voice. Connor didn’t detect it.

“Well that sucks, man,” Connor said. Jude had to laugh. “What?”

“Nothing,” he replied shortly. “Yeah, it sucks.”

Neither of them spoke after that, and they still didn’t speak when they woke the next morning with Connor’s arm draped across Jude’s back.

Sometimes, there was nothing to say.

_year six **  
**_

“I’m thinking about asking Lydia to the Yule Ball,” Connor announced. He, Jude, and Fred were lounging on the grass next to the lake, watching a group of Gryffindor second years taunting the giant squid.

“It’s October,” Jude said. “The dance is two months away. Why would you ask now?”

“Gotta get the good ones early,” Fred interjected, a grin on his face. The sun was made his freckles look like they were glowing. Jude thought he might go blind looking at him - the bright orange halo and shimmering dots.

“Exactly,” Connor agreed. “She’ll be flattered I thought to ask in advance.”

Jude rolled his eyes and lay flat on his back. He was enjoying one of the last days of Fall, because it was sure to get cold soon, and afternoons spent outside wouldn’t be quite as nice.

His sun was suddenly shaded by a tall figure. He looked up and saw a Gryffindor boy from their year, Richard Donnovan, standing over him.

“Hello,” Jude said, when the boy just stood there, staring at him. Fred and Connor watched from where they lay on either side of Jude.

“Hi,” Richard said shyly. “Um, can I have a minute?”

Jude looked at both Connor and Fred; both just shrugged.

“Sure,” he agreed, standing up and following Richard to a bench on the other side of the lake. They sat, and Jude could see Connor, now sitting up, staring at them. “So?”

“Right! Um, so, you know the Yule Ball is coming up, right?”

“Yes,” Jude agreed.

“And-” Richard paused and swallowed. “Well, I don’t want to assume anything about you, but I thought I’d take a shot. Do you wanna go to the ball with me?”

“Um,” Jude said.

“Oh, my God,” Richard groaned, eyes widening. “Oh, my God. I’m  _so_  sorry. You’re straight. Oh, my God.”

Jude chuckled a little at his reaction. “No, it’s. It’s not that. I just- Isn’t the ball kind of far away?”

“Well, you have to ask early to get the good ones,” Richard said, echoing Fred and Connor. Then he winked. Jude wasn’t sure he liked the winking so much, but he didn’t know what other guy was going to ask him to the dance. Perhaps  _actually_  dating was the perfect way to get over Connor.

“Well, then, sure,” Jude smiled shyly. “I’d love to go to the ball with you. We should probably spend a couple weekends in Hogsmeade together before then, though. You know, just to get to know each other.”

The smile that lit up Richard’s face told Jude he’d made the right decision.

“Amazing,” Richard breathed. “Next weekend is a Hogsmeade weekend, if you want to…?”

“Yeah,” Jude grinned. “Absolutely. I’ll see you then?”

Richard nodded, then paused and seem to consider something. Jude watched him as he leaned forward, wrapping his arms around Jude’s waist. Jude hugged back, liking the way Richard’s broad chest felt pressed up against his.

When they pulled back, Jude felt lightheaded and couldn’t keep the goofy smile off his face.

They said their goodbyes and Jude watched as Richard walked away. He finally made his way back to Connor and Fred. Connor was openly staring at Jude, questioning.

“Well,” Jude said nervously. “Looks like I have a date for the Yule Ball.”

Fred looked up from where he lay on the ground. “Way to go, man! Richard’s a catch.”

Connor didn’t say anything, just continued to stare at Jude.

Jude sat down awkwardly, farther from Connor than he had been before.

It was silent for a long time, and Jude had thought Fred had fallen asleep when he stood up, announced he was going to the library, and left.

“You lied to me.”

“What?”

Connor frowned. “Last year. You said you liked Taylor. You said you were straight.”

“I don’t think I ever actually said I was straight,” Jude said, even though he knew Connor was right. He had lied.

“You implied it!”

“Okay! Fine, yes, I implied that I was straight! I was scared, Connor!”

“Scared to tell me? What, do you think I’m some homophobic asshole who was gonna laugh in your face?”

“No, I just-” Jude stopped, taking a deep breath. “You don’t get how terrifying it is, not knowing how people will react. Or just knowing in your head that you’re different from everyone else. It’s hard to deal with on your own, let alone telling people about it.”

“But I’m your best friend,” Connor argued. “You know you could’ve trusted me. I can’t believe you didn’t tell me.”

“I won’t apologize for this,” Jude stated, crossing his arms.  “I haven’t done anything wrong.”

“You haven’t-”  Connor laughed humorlessly. “You lied to me! How long have you known, Jude? How long have you been lying to my face?”

“I can’t believe you’re acting like this!” Jude shouted angrily.

“Like what? Like I just found out my best friend has been lying to me for who knows how long?!”

“No! You’re acting like a dick!”

Connor’s eyes widened. Jude wasn’t one to curse often.

“How long?”

“What?”

“How long have you known?”

“Maybe like, third year…” Jude acted like he couldn’t remember exactly when it happened, that moment in the lake with Connor.

“Three years?!”

“Connor, it seriously isn’t a big deal. It’s not like you’re the only person I didn’t tell.”

“Well did you tell  _anyone_?”

“Taylor,” Jude admitted. “During fourth year.”

“YOU TOLD TAYLOR BEFORE YOU TOLD ME?”

Jude noticed people staring and he stood up.

“If you’re going to be like this, I’m not going to talk to you.”

Connor averted his eyes, staring at the ground. His face was pinched in anger and Jude wanted to slap him.

“When you decide to stop being an asshole, you can come talk to me,” Jude told him, and walked away.

He waited until he reached the safety of his bed to let the tears fall.

~

Jude had a great time on his date with Richard. They walked through Honeydukes, had a butterbeer at The Three Broomsticks, and then spent over an hour browsing the shelves of Zonkos Joke Shop. As they walked back to the castle, Richard slipped his hand into Jude’s.

“This was really fun,” he said with a smile, letting their hands swing back and forth between them.

Jude nodded. “Yeah, it was.”

“Do you think-” Richard paused, stopping in his tracks. Jude stopped with him, letting go of his hand and watching a blush take over Richard’s face. “Do you think I could kiss you?”

Jude didn’t have to think about it; he nodded and let Richard press their lips together. It was soft and slow and sweet and Jude was happy.

And then he thought about Connor.

He pulled back, offered Richard a fake smile, and then grabbed his hand and continued walking. He fought the tears that threatened to build behind his eyes as he realized-

This wasn’t working.

He had spent all day enjoying Richard’s company, laughing at his jokes and rolling his eyes at some of his cheesier lines. But something in his head was still screaming,  _he’s not Connor_. And Jude hated that part of himself, that part that was still holding out for what he couldn’t have.

He said a quick goodbye to Richard in the entrance hall, gave him a peck on the cheek, and turned toward the Hufflepuff basement. He walked right through the common room, ignoring Fred and Connor, who seemed to be engaged in a heated game of Exploding Snap, and went to the dormitory.

He hadn’t spoken to Connor since their fight, over a week ago. And it sucked. More than anything, Jude just missed his best friend. It was different for Connor- he had Fred, who could fill that empty best friend slot that Jude had left open - but Jude didn’t have anyone else. At least anyone in his house. And he was lonely.

Just as he pulled his shoes off and kicked them under his bed, the door to the dormitory opened and Connor walked in. They didn’t make eye contact as Connor came to sit on Jude’s bed next to him.

“Sorry I yelled at you,” Connor finally said, when the silence felt like it was suffocating. “I just felt betrayed, I guess.”

Jude didn’t say anything. He didn’t know what to say. He always forgave Connor easily, but this was different.

“I’m really okay with the fact that you’re gay. That doesn’t have anything to do with it. I was just upset that you didn’t tell me. I’m your best friend, I’m supposed to help you through something like that, not have some Gryffindor jerk figure it out before me.”

Jude frowned. “He’s not a jerk, Connor. Richard’s really nice.”

Connor scoffed. “Whatever. He just wants in your pants, Jude.”

And suddenly Jude was glad he didn’t immediately forgive him. “Excuse me?”

“Have you not noticed? They way girls have stared at you for the last year? You’re hot, Jude, and this guy just wants to have sex with you!”

Jude stared at Connor. Suddenly, he didn’t recognize him.

“What is wrong with you?” Jude asked.

Connor’s mouth opened but no words came out.

“I want you to leave,” Jude said, pointing at the door.

“Jude-” Connor started, an apology in his eyes.

“No,” Jude said, shaking his head. “Leave, Connor.”

And Connor left.

~

Jude hadn’t spoken to Connor since the day of his first date with Richard. He’d spent most of his time with the Gryffindor boy, whether it was eating meals together at the Gryffindor table or spending time studying in the library. Richard had tried to kiss Jude again, but Jude had turned his head. Without a word, with nothing but a sad smile, Richard had said  _okay_ , and hadn’t tried again.

Jude was standing in his dress robes in front of the mirror in the bathroom of their dormitory. He ignored Connor, who walked behind him in his own robes. Fred was already down in the common room, with his date, Shelby.

Jude knew from listening to Connor and Fred’s conversations that Connor wasn’t taking anyone to the dance. Jude wondered what had happened to the girl Connor was considering asking in October; he wondered if he’d been turned down.

Without a word to the other boy, Jude left the dorm and headed to the common room. He crawled through the exit and found himself outside the barrels. Standing there, looking handsome in his own dress robes, stood Richard.

“Hey,” Jude said, surprised. “I thought we were meeting at the Great Hall.”

Richard shrugged, a small smile on his face. “I couldn’t wait to see you. I was about to just start knocking on all these barrels to see if anyone could hear me and let me in, but then I remembered what you said about the vinegar bath if you get it wrong, so…”

“Yeah, Connor had a fun experience with the vinegar in first year,” Jude laughed. His laugh faded as he thought about Connor and he in first year. Best friends - inseparable. He missed Connor, but until he could deal with Jude and who he was, then he would have to just keep missing him.

Richard offered his arm and Jude took it, walking with him toward the Great Hall.

“You look really good, Jude,” Richard complimented. “I’m the luckiest guy in the school tonight.”

The grin on his face was wide as he led Jude into the Great Hall. There were twinkling lights everywhere and snow was falling from the enchanted ceiling, disappearing before it reached the heads of the students. Circular tables were placed in half of the hall, and next to them was a large space that had been designated as a dance floor. At the end of the hall, where the professors usually sat, was a band Jude didn’t recognize.

“Want to dance?” Richard asked. The dance floor wasn’t even half full, and the hall itself seemed pretty empty. But Richard was looking at him with a hopeful smile, and Jude couldn’t say no. They made their way to the dance floor and started moving to the fast paced song. After a few minutes, the band announced they would play the first slow song of the night, and Richard put his hands on Jude’s waist.

Jude placed his hands on Richard’s shoulders and it felt awkward. He couldn’t shake the feeling that this was  _wrong_ , that Richard’s face shouldn’t be the one looking back at him.

It was quiet between them as they swayed back and forth, and Jude fought to keep the frown off his face.

Apparently he didn’t do a very good job, because Richard sighed. “You’re not interested in me, are you?”

Jude looked down at their feet.

“It’s alright,” Richard said quietly. “Do you mind if I ask if it’s Connor?”

Jude could feel his cheeks heat up. Their dancing had stopped, and they were just standing in the middle of the dance floor. Jude finally looked up at Richard, who had a small but sincere smile on his face.

“Yeah,” Jude whispered. “It’s Connor.”

Richard’s smile was sad when he leaned forward and kissed Jude on the cheek.

“We should still be friends,” he said. Jude nodded, watching as Richard turned around and walked away from him.

He was still standing in the middle of the dance floor, alone, when the song ended and was replaced with an upbeat number. He slowly walked out of the Great Hall. More people had arrived, filling up the tables and the dance floor. Jude spotted Connor with Fred and Shelby. Their eyes locked for a moment, a question in Connor’s. Jude just shook his head and left the hall.

He had made it halfway to the Hufflepuff basement when a hand grabbed his arm and pulled. He turned and came face to face with Connor.

“I’m sorry, Jude,” he said as soon as their eyes met.

“Haven’t we been through this already?”

“No,” Connor shook his head. “I mean I’m sorry it didn’t work out with Richard.”

Jude scoffed. “I don’t think you are sorry, actually. Anyway, I was the one that didn’t have feelings for him. You don’t need to be sorry.”

“Oh,” Connor said. Jude could see his body relax, and he rolled his eyes.

“Okay, so now that you know my virtue is safe, are we done?”

“That’s not what this is about.”

“Then what’s it about, Connor? Because you’ve been such a jerk lately and I can’t figure out why!”

There was silence between them, broken only by the sound of muffled laughter and music from the Great Hall.

“Yeah, I thought so-”

“Wait,” Connor interrupted. “Jude, give me a minute.”

Jude looked at his friend, and saw the lines on his forehead, the furrow of his brow, and finally, the wetness behind his eyes.

“Connor?” He reached out and placed his hand on Connor’s arm, wanting to comfort him and not knowing how.

Connor sniffled. Then he looked up into Jude’s eyes. “I’m gay, too.”

Jude opened his mouth, not even sure what words to say but needing to say something, but Connor shook his head.

“I was jealous of you,” he whispered. “You came out to us like it was nothing, and I’ve been struggling to even call myself gay inside my own head.”

“It wasn’t easy for me, either, Connor,” Jude replied. “But I appreciate you telling me. I’m proud of you.”

Connor gave a long sigh, wiping at his eyes. “Thank you.”

Jude nodded. “And I forgive you.”

Connor let a smile overtake his face, and he reached out, wrapping his arms around Jude’s shoulders.

Jude wrapped his arms around Connor’s waist, trying not to think about how right it felt.

“You’re still my favorite,” Connor whispered into his ear.

Jude smiled, and already knowing the answer, whispered back, “favorite what?”

They pulled back, and Connor had a happy smile on his face. “Favorite everything.”

~

It was April, and the first day that Jude and Connor could spend their Saturday morning outside.

“So,” Connor said, once they were laying in the grass in their favorite spot by the lake.

“So,” Jude repeated. He closed his eyes against the sun, enjoying the feel of it against his skin. It was a good day.

“Do you know Jimmy from Ravenclaw?”

“Yeah,” Jude answered. “Seventh year, right? He came out a few months ago didn’t he?”

“Yeah,” Connor said quietly. Jude opened his eyes and turned his head to look at his friend. “I’m going to Hogsmeade with him this afternoon.”

Jude felt a twist in his stomach that made him want to throw up. Things had been going so well between he and Connor, and he had thought they were possibly even moving in a direction that made them more than friends.

Apparently not.

“I’m really nervous,” Connor said after it became apparent Jude wasn’t going to respond.

“Don’t be,” Jude told him. “You’ll be fine. He’s gonna love you.”

Connor nodded. “I mean, I know he’s interested, since he’s the one that asked me out. I just don’t know if dating a guy is different from dating a girl…”

“You’re going to  _actually_  enjoy it,” Jude responded with a smirk. Connor laughed and shoved him. “But seriously, you’re going to have a great time.”

The next few hours passed by far too quickly for Jude’s taste; before he knew it, Connor was headed off with Jimmy to Hogsmeade. Jude made his way to the common room, ready to work on some homework to take his mind off of Connor dating a guy.

A guy who wasn’t him.

It hurt, and Jude hated the fact that even though his best friend was gay, was dating, he still wasn’t interested in Jude. Was something wrong with him? Did Connor not find him attractive? The questions swam in his head until he couldn’t think straight.

After years of pushing down any hope of being with Connor, that wall had been broken when his friend came out. Jude’s hope had grown again, and he had thought, he’d  _truly_  thought, that they could’ve been something.

But Connor was on a date, and Jude was alone.

Connor had come out, but still, nothing had changed.

~

It was Connor’s third date with Jimmy, and Jude was in the dormitory working on his Potions essay. He had slept in, past when Connor had left, so he didn’t have to wish him luck. Connor thought Jimmy was going to kiss him today, and he had been freaking out about it the night before.

He was flipping through his Potions book, trying to find what order the ingredients went into the Draught of Living Death, when the door to the dormitory burst open and Connor stood in the doorway. Jude could tell immediately that he was upset; his face was pinched, his mouth in a frown.

“Connor, what’s-”

“I broke up with him,” Connor announced, his voice loud in the small room. Jude raised his eyebrows. Connor stepped into the room, shutting the door behind him. “I tried, Jude, I really tried.”

“Tried what?” Jude asked, confusion lacing his voice.

“I tried to like him!” He burst out. “I knew I needed to, I knew I had to at least  _try_  to get over my feelings so I didn’t ruin everything. I tried, Jude.”

His eyes bore into Jude’s, begging him to understand. But Jude didn’t understand.

“Connor, I don’t understand what you’re telling me,” he said softly.

Connor’s voice cracked. “I don’t want to ruin our friendship, Jude. That’s the most important thing. But I tried to like him, and I was kissing him, and I just kept-”

He stopped, breathing deeply and staring at the ground. Jude stood up and walked to his friend, placing a hand on his arm.

“I just kept thinking about you.”

Jude’s heart thudded wildly in his chest.

“I don’t want to ruin our friendship,” Connor repeated desperately.

Jude shook his head, watching Connor’s face crumple. “You’re not ruining our friendship, Connor.”

Connor tilted his head, confusion written on his face.

Jude, not caring about the consequences, pulled his friend in by his robe, slowing when their noses touched.

“You’re making it better.”

And he closed the distance between them.

_year seven_

“Nervous?” Connor asked.

Jude nodded, pushing his eggs around his plate with a fork. Connor bumped their shoulders together, and Jude looked at him with a small smile.

“It’s going to be alright.”

“I know,” Jude agreed. “It’s just - We’ve been here for seven years, and now all of a sudden we have to go off into the real world and be adults. It’s terrifying.”

“You’ll be living with Jesus and you already have a job lined up,” Connor reminded him. “Everything’s in order for you. It’ll be great, and  _you’ll_  be great.”

“Thanks,” Jude said quietly. “Have you found a place yet?”

Connor grinned. “Actually… I did. I’m in the building across the street from you.”

“No way,” Jude said. “No way!”

Connor nodded happily. “I want to be close to work anyway, so a flat in London seemed like the best place. And I really liked the area your building is in.”

“Really?” Jude smirked. “You  _liked the area_?”

Connor blushed. “Okay, maybe I just wanted to be close to you.”

Jude leaned forward, kissing Connor on the lips softly.

When they pulled back, they noticed a lot of the other seventh year students leaving the Great Hall, headed to the lawn outside. Jude and Connor stood up to follow.

“Ready to graduate?”

Jude smiled. He was ready.

~

“That’s the last of them!” Stef announced happily. Jude looked around at the six boxes filled with his belongings that now filled the living room. It was going to take a long time to get everything unpacked. Jude thanked his mom and asked where Jesus was. “He said he won’t be in until tonight, wanted to give you time to get everything unpacked. I think he’s just avoiding having to help you.”

Jude laughed. “That’s not surprising. It’s okay, though, Connor’s coming over in a bit to help.”

Stef smiled at her son. “That’s good.” Jude gave her a hug and smiled when he felt her drop a kiss on his cheek.

“Still can’t believe you’re taller than me,” she muttered. Jude smirked at her. “Alright, I’m headed out. I’ll see you later, love.”

Jude bid his mom goodbye, told her to give his love to Lena, and then was alone.

He began working on his bedroom, getting his bed made and starting in on his closet. He heard a knock on the door and ran to it, opening it to find Connor smiling at him.

“Hi,” he said. Connor leaned forward and gave him a quick kiss.

“Ready to get started?” Connor asked. Jude nodded and let Connor in.

“Here’s my bedroom,” Jude announced, opening the bedroom door and allowing Connor in.

Connor stood in the middle of the room, looking around. “I like it.”

“It’s not huge, but it’s nice. It’s good to be living with Jesus, too,” Jude remarked.

Connor shook his head. “It’s perfect.”

Jude grinned. “Glad you think so. Now, help me unpack this box.”

Hours passed as they unpacked boxes filled with Jude’s belongings.

“Let’s take a break,” Connor finally suggested, once they finished with their next box.

Jude nodded and flopped down in the middle of the bed. Connor watched him, smirking.

“That looks a lot like an invitation,” he remarked. Jude looked at his boyfriend and grinned. Connor crawled onto the bed, not stopping until his arms and legs were on either side of Jude. He looked down at his boyfriend. “Fancy meeting you here.”

“Shut up,” Jude laughed, reaching for the front of Connor’s shirt and tugging. Connor’s legs buckled and his body landed softly on Jude. Once Jude had Connor right where he wanted him, he let go of his shirt and let his arms fall on either side of his head. Connor placed his hands on Jude’s arms, sliding them up until their fingers laced together.

“I love you,” Connor whispered, and then found Jude’s lips with his own. The kiss started soft, slowly moving their lips together. Jude sighed into it, and Connor used to opportunity to slip his tongue into Jude’s mouth. Jude made a small whining noise in the back of his throat and Connor pulled away, breathing heavily. He pressed their foreheads together and let his hips fall against Jude’s.

Jude groaned at the contact, pressing his lips back against Connor’s. He untangled their fingers, letting them instead run over Connor’s back and into his hair. Connor gripped Jude’s hips, letting his own rock against them. Jude gasped, bringing his hands to the hem of Connor’s shirt and pulling it over his head.

“Yours, too,” Connor mumbled, helping Jude out of his shirt. He pressed their lips together again, running fingers over Jude’s chest. His hands trailed lower and lower, stopping at the button on his pants. “Okay?”

Jude nodded. “Yeah.”

Connor pressed one last kiss to Jude’s lips before moving down, pressing kisses into his neck, chest, down his stomach. Jude’s breathing was heavy, fingers in Connor’s hair. He jolted when Connor’s fingers undid the button of his jeans, pulling them down his legs and over his feet.

Jude smirked. “Yours, too.”

Connor laughed, standing up and yanking his own pants off quickly, immediately crawling back overJude. He wrapped his arms around him, flipping them over until Jude was laying on him.

“Hi,” Jude mumbled. “I love you.”

Connor rolled them again, so that Jude was next to him. “I love you, too.”

Jude slid over, pressing their bodies together from top to bottom. He pressed a leg between Connor’s, gasping at the feel of him against his hip.

“Do you want to?” Connor whispered, voice soft in the quiet apartment. They had never gone farther than this at school, always worried about when Fred would return the dormitory. But here, alone in Jude’s apartment?

“Yeah,” Jude breathed, leaning back in.

Soon after, they were a mess of tangled limbs, sweat sticking to their skin as they lay together on top of the blankets. Connor had Jude tucked up under an arm, head on his chest.

Connor shivered as Jude pressed soft kisses to the skin of his chest, fingers skimming his stomach.

“We need to get dressed,” Jude mumbled against Connor’s skin. “Jesus is going to be home soon, we don’t have a lot of time.”

“And then?” Connor asked.

“And then,” Jude said with a smile, “We have all the time in the world.”

 


End file.
